CKD & ESRD

According to the National Kidney Foundation…

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy by doing the jobs listed. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. These problems may happen slowly over a long period of time. Chronic kidney disease may be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders. Early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse. When kidney disease progresses, it may eventually lead to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain life. (except from https://www.kidney.org/kidneyDisease/aboutckd)

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is the last stage of chronic kidney disease as defined by diagnostic tests including Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). This stage is when your kidneys can no longer support your bodies needs.

The kidneys remove waste and excess water from the body. ESRD occurs when the kidneys are no longer able to work at a level needed for day-to-day life.

ESRD almost always comes after chronic kidney disease. The kidneys may slowly stop working over 10 to 20 years before end-stage disease results. Check out the CDC’s Statewide Surveillance of ESRD here.